Monthly Archive

My legal-to-drink nephew said he wasn’t interested in being an adult. Oooooohhhh how I laughed, at the thought that it was something that could be opted out of. That choice was a possible option.

He’s a good man and everything will work out, I’m not worried about that at all, but the idea of just …. not adulting has some interesting points.

So. My governor signed a bill into law that he vetoed last year. A FOIA indicated that about 150 people had contact with his office in support of the bill while 14,000+ (myself included) had contact with his office encouraging him to take the exact same action he took last year on the same damn bill. Oh. And the NRA had a big convention in Atlanta the week before. So now concealed carry on college campuses is legal.

So. My nation’s president is … Donald Trump. I’m a liberal patriot and this just isn’t going well from my standpoint. I like healthcare, a nation striving to not divide on religious, romantic, or racial lines, infrastructure, I like to think that the president can keep a secret and keep his mouth shut. So, it has been a long four months.

So. My congressman is too chicken to have a meeting in my town, which is the largest in his district. A town so dominantly liberal that is has been gerrymandered into THREE districts to make sure we can’t get the momentum to get one democrat (or progressive) in place.

But. I adult. I’m still supporting good journalism. My senators are on speed dial. I ordered the *special* postcards that help articulate my frustration with not being heard by the people whose SALARY I FUCKING PAY.

I think back to who I was when I graduated from college, a Gen X (slacker, cynical, apathetic … we ALLLLLLLL were because judging on age is FINE) history major thinking I was on the cutting edge with the insight that every empire that has ever risen has also fallen. My thinking falling just short of the idea that I would watch it fall.

I look now at the land of the free and the home of the brave not with a target of another 40 years for me, but instead looking for the old, aged end of my child’s days to be one of a republic which cares for it’s most vulnerable with affection, kindness, and cash money for food. With the Buffets and Gates of the nation standing taller than … well. Other rich white guys.

The stories of my greed are greatly exaggerated. The last day of my grandmother’s life included a plan to move a helpful chair (one of those that helps someone stand up) from her home to the home of someone else who would need it. The plan to move the chair was executed within hours of her death because the plan was made for a time and then stuff happened. Her neighbors have opinions about me, and they don’t all start with, “what a nice girl….”.

We only know what people want us to know. That is just a thing that is true. Also true is that we all have parts of our lives that would be FASCINATING to others that we don’t share consciously.

I’m super grateful for intact bones. Gotta multiple folks around me who cannot say things about having intact bones and it sounds like hell.

The Lord’s Prayer. I was taught, and still mainly believe, that The Lord’s Prayer is a cultural expectation that people should know – like how to shake hands well, the pledge, or Take Me Out to the Ballgame. I’m giving serious thought to if I will teach the same to my son.

Cultural Christianity. Related to the above, I’m increasingly uncomfortable with the parts of my life that signal Christianity when I’m not someone of faith. I fret that it feeds into the idea that white people who aren’t clearly Jewish (or Wician is the other that stands out) are passively Christian. That passively Christian idea I think is sprinkling some fuel on the fire of political actions I don’t agree with. I can speak out against them but in the long run I support the ideas of religious freedom and the distinction between church and state more actively by separating myself from it. I haven’t done anything with Easter in a number of years, and this year I suspect I will try and even out my Christmas shopping so I don’t add to the Christmas Spike in Retail Dollars. Still, not putting away the tree yet cuz I like gifts. Growth takes time, what can I say? Also, for my friends of faith – we cool. Some of you like brussell sprouts too – you do you and I’ll be over here.

God free funerals. They are tough, and I think as a retirement job I’ll be someone who officiates end of life services talking about change and caregiving and how different and the same things are. I would try and bring comfort to families without a religious structure and with the knowledge that the profoundly hurting and the slightly uncomfortable are all sitting together.

Microphone whore. I did a eulogy this weekend and I was content with how it went even though I had an uncomfortable adrenaline dump (over adrenalized for the last month and then an extra dose so I was VERY shaky).

My kid is awesome. Dude had three shows this weekend and totally kicked ass. He almost stopped taking class this year, but then here at the end did a solo in front of his friends. I’m super proud of him.

It is not our will that keeps them breathing. It was hard to not see some of his performances but in the same way that watching an infant breathe isn’t what makes them do it … making sure your leo-mom self is in the room isn’t what makes or breaks a performance. Good lesson, but thank goodness for video.

My husband is awesome. Twice this month I’ve said, “gotta leave town” and he has said, “ok, when will you be back?” and then super-parented while I was spending money on plane tickets and rental cars. We will have been married for 10 years next week and that is groovy. Oh, and I’ve gotta leave town on our anniversary for a work conference and he rolled with that too.

ok. Maybe that is enough for now. All the corners of my family have been wonderful to me and I’m super grateful.